A Historical and Diplomatic Analysis of the Decrees Issued by the Governors of the Province of Behbahan and Kohgiluyeh to the Mollā-bāshi’s of that Province during the Qajar Era

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 MA Student in History of Ancient Iran, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jhss.2026.408216.473887
Abstract
Employing a descriptive-analytical methodology and grounded in the principles of diplomatics, this study provides a historical and stylistic analysis of a collection of unpublished Qajar-era decrees (farāmīn) and orders (arqām). The records, which pertain to the appointment, confirmation of positions, and granting of annuities to members of the Mollā-bāshi family, serve as a coherent case study. They provide a basis for re-examining and evaluating some of the prevalent generalizations within the diplomatics of this period. In this article, following a meticulous reading of the texts, both the internal components (such as the tahmīdiyyeh or doxology, preamble, main text, and epilogue) and the external features (like the tughrā or imperial monogram, seals, and endorsements) of each document are analyzed in detail and compared with established patterns. The findings indicate that, contrary to some general assumptions, elements such as the tahmīdiyyeh lacked uniformity across the decrees of different Qajar monarchs, and sections like the supplicatory phrases in the epilogue were optional, influenced by the scribe’s stylistic discretion and the recipient’s status. Furthermore, the documents clearly demonstrate the dominance of the ‘adabī-dīvānī’ (literary-bureaucratic) prose style, shaped by the Bāzgasht-e Adabī (Literary Return) movement, wherein the administrative function of the document is interwoven with rhetorical embellishments. Ultimately, the article argues that analyzing homogenous, local collections of documents not only helps refine the principles of diplomatics but also reveals the mechanisms of interaction between the central government and local elites, along with the complex administrative hierarchies at the provincial level.

Keywords

Subjects


Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 05 October 2026